The catastrophic conditions that confronts war-torn South Sudan will likely worsen in coming months in the face of government intransigence and ineffective regional peace-making efforts, United Nations monitors have warned.

“Absent a change in the current conflict dynamics, the coming dry season will see further fighting and civilian suffering, as the government continues to pursue military victory over political compromise,” UN investigators said on Monday.

The UN panel also accused government forces of impeding humanitarian and peacekeeping operations. This, they said, cut-off food supplies to Bagari in the northwestern Upper Nile state.

At least 164 children and elderly people died from hunger and disease in that area between January and September this year, they said. Further, the UN panel said armed forces were using food aid as a weapon of war to target civilians.

Uganda

In a 35-page report to the Security Council, the UN monitors cited Uganda as abetting President Salva Kiir administration’s refusal to end the war.

In addition to allowing arms to reach government forces, Uganda serves as the destination for teak and gold extracted from South Sudan, the panel said. These resources, as well as oil, are sold to finance military operations and enrich South Sudanese elites, the report stated.

Divisions among neighbouring countries, particularly competition between Uganda and Ethiopia for “regional hegemony,” are also causing peace initiatives to flounder, the monitors said.

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni is said to be more invested in the Kampala-led attempt to reunify three factions of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) than in moves by the regional bloc the Intergovernmental Authority on Development to revitalise the peace agreement.

Kenya, despite its “significant financial interests in South Sudan,” has been sidelined from the peacebuilding efforts due to Nairobi’s preoccupation with the presidential elections, the monitors said.

Kenya’s banking and real-estate sectors, along with those of Uganda, “are key destinations for financial assets and laundered funds from South Sudan,” the report noted.

The Kenyan government has additional reasons to remain actively engaged in efforts to end the nearly four-year-long civil war in South Sudan, the monitors suggested.

They cited mounting insecurity in Eastern Equatoria on Kenya’s border, which could accelerate an influx of refugees. The panel also pointed to “the continued possibility of armed groups attacking and looting poorly secured Kenyan banks in South Sudan.”

Rebels

South Sudan opposition “has become increasingly diverse and widespread as the conflict has expanded to different parts of the country,” the report said.

But the armed rebels are splintered and comparatively weak, the monitors added.

READ: South Sudan army commander defects to rebels

They said exiled opposition leader Riek Machar continues to maintain overall command of the main faction of rebel forces, “although his isolation in South Africa has limited to some degree his day-to-day oversight.”

Machar’s grip is being further loosened by military gains made by government forces, defections by some of his troops to other opposition groups and “the apparent continued lack of significant military resupply to opposition forces.”

Weaponry

Further, the report said South Sudan opposition fighters seem unable to obtain large-scale weapons supplies other than by capturing government arsenals.

The country’s army, however, has been resupplied via transhipments of arms through Uganda, the monitors said.

ALSO READ: Kiir accuses Sudan of being ‘source of weapons’

According to “documentary evidence” obtained by the panel, a cargo flight containing 31 tonnes of weapons arrived in Entebbe, Uganda, on August 29.

Kampala-based Bosasy Logistics is listed as the consignee for this shipment, reportedly from Bulgaria, that includes AK-47 rifles, spare magazines, bayonets and ammunition, they said.

“Panel sources claim that these weapons were destined for onward shipment to Juba,” the report said.

South Sudan plunged into war in December 2013 when Kiir accused Machar, his former deputy, of plotting a coup.

Tens of thousands have died in the fighting and nearly four million have fled their homes. END

5 Comments

Now is the time to fend off all these VULTURES….The neighbouring countries want to maintain the status quo with Kiir at the helm by offering him all the logistical support. The region fears to have a South Sudan that asks questions and is critical. The current South Sudan under Kiir has become like the boy who always throws tantrum yet is unable to decide and care for himself.

Foresaken by the neighbours, now is the time for every South Sudan to fight, with the very limited resources, to reclaim our country from these vultures.

Where do you think the vultures will go? Even if you get power by barrel of guns, vultures will go to bushes and destabilize your govt you dreamt to get without the so call vultures. Remember, vulture can also go to bush and the situation of South Sudan will remain the same and no one would enjoy. Let’s come together, accept to be together, use politics of who is competent to lead South Sudan not regional and ethnics politics you people have been preaching all the time in the name of Equatoria and Nuer….etc

I like that name. To start with, we were not meant to be in the same country after all. The regional and ethnic politics is something is something you cannot wish away.

Even before the much hyped IGAD High Level Revitalization Forum convenes, I can assure you what lays ahead is for South Sudanese stakeholders to agree to disagree forcing the international community to have International Trusteeship as the other option to toy with.

Dear Eastern,
If Dr. Riak become president of South Sudan. What will he do? To divide South Sudan into three countries? or to killed all those you call vultures? because you are saying that were are not meant to be in the same country again.

The vultures will refrain from participation in the government, you and Equatorian to take presidency, ministries and all, so that you are happy and to divide the country into three countries as you want it to be.

Even if you divide South Sudan into Upper Nile as country, Equatoria and Bhar el Gazal, still Equatorian will later divide themselves into Eastern and Western Equatoria, the Nuer or Ngundeng country as Mr. Eastern wish would have division. Disagreement over something, is the human nature my dear